Chapter 104 - Can't Run Away...

Jeffrey texted Arria back to inform her that he, too, couldn't get a response from Ava. After reading her older brother's text message, Arria decided to call her mother this time. Meanwhile, Jeffrey thought of the same thing and made a call to their father.

However, both of them got the same result. Neither of their parents answered their calls. The reason was, Jeff and Ann were actually with Ava, and they were all still in the air on the way to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

===

While everyone was worried about why they couldn't get in touch with Ava, the girl was sitting comfortably in the plane's mini lounge in front of her mother, having a heart-to-heart talk while Jeff was busy with some business matters.

"Mom, I swear to you that's why I decided to attend M.I.T. [Massachusetts Institute Of Technology] has nothing to do with big brother James. I'm interested in computer engineering, and it's the best college to attend." She was looking at her mother without batting an eye while she told a partial white lie.

James did have something to do with her deciding to study as far away as she could from him. But, she would never admit that to her mother. She didn't want their parents to get involved with their relationship.

Ava had long decided after hearing from James that he only thought of her as a younger sister, that she would ask her parents to break the engagement when the time came for them to get married.

For now, she would concentrate on her studies and prepare for the training that she would undergo, as her father told her.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize her mother was saying something.

"By the way, there's something I just found out not long ago when I last spoke with Ashley. Do you want to hear it?" Ann had a grin plastered on her lips as she asked. Even if Ava said she didn't want to know, she would tell her anyway.

"Sure! What is it that Aunt Ashley told you that made you smile?" To  Ann's surprise, Ava was interested. So, she happily told her.

"Well, although you said it has nothing to do with James why you decided to attend a different school, I have a feeling that it does. Anyway, Ashley told me that Ashton asked them if and when... This is only if... Instead of James, if he can be the one." Ann was now smiling from ear to ear while waiting for Ava's reaction to her news.

Ava knew what her mother meant. But she wanted to make sure that they were on the same page.

"Do you mean he wanted to be my betrothed instead of James? Is that what you mean?" She asked calmly while looking outside the window of the plane instead of at her mother.

The weather outside was mirroring her mood, there were dark clouds, and it looked like it was about to rain.

"Yes, that's what I mean. It seems that Ashton took a liking to you, and James seems to only care for you as a younger sister. So, if you think Ashton is a good candidate, we will agree to his request. What do you think?" Ann was hopeful that Ava would choose one or the other. If not, they would need to break the agreement before it's too late.

"Hmmm, to be honest, mom, I don't even think about it anymore like when I was a kid. Back then, I remembered being dumb enough to be excited being betrothed to one of them, but I outgrew it already. So, if you're asking me, my answer is I'm not interested in either one of them. So, can't we just break it off? That's what I want to be honest." This time she sincerely told her mother how she felt while looking straight at her.

Ann was speechless after hearing Ava's response. Unfortunately, she didn't know that was how she felt about this betrothal, so she will need to speak to her husband about breaking it off.

But for now, she wouldn't agree to Ava's request yet. She knew how much her husband wanted their families to be connected with one another, and the same went for her and Ashley. 

"Alright then, I can't promise you anything, but I will do my best to talk to your father. But, as you said, that's many years from now, so forget about it and concentrate on your studies and make mom and dad prouder than we are now." She then took her daughter's hands and caressed them while patting them a couple of times.

"Go ahead and rest for a little more. We should be arriving in Massachusetts pretty soon." Ann then got up and gave her daughter a peck on her cheek before going back to sit next to her husband, who was busy with a laptop in front of him and a frown on his face.

===

Meanwhile, unknown to them that after their drunken stupor, James and Prince Edward chartered one of THJ's private planes to fly them to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, Prince Edward's attendant and a couple of Royal bodyguards could only join them along with Tiny, James' bodyguard, aboard the private plane. 

Prince Edward's assistant wanted to call the palace but was afraid that he would just get scolded by King Alexander for not stopping his charge. He tried his might to stop them, but the two young men were determined, so he and a couple of Royal bodyguards could only follow along.

Tiny, on the other hand, didn't do anything. Since they were born, he had been James and Ashton's bodyguard and was only recently assigned to just James when THJ Entertainment issued new bodyguards for Ashton and his group members.

As soon as they landed, the two drunken young men wanted to head over to Harvard University.

Unfortunately, the campus was still closed. So instead, they were taken to one of the hotel chains owned by Jeff's company, the MWIG Group... 

===

Once James and Prince Edward were settled in their room, Tiny contacted Tanaga to make his report informing his superior of everything that transpired. 

"Why didn't you inform me before you left Stonasia? Do you know the consequences of letting Prince Edward come along with him? Although it is not your responsibility since he does have his own assistant and a couple of Royal bodyguards, you should at least inform me ahead of time before the plane takes off." Tanaga's voice was louder than usual.

Tiny knew what he had done wrong and just listened to his scolding.

"Go ahead and let James do what he planned to do there. I will take care of Prince Edward's matter and call King Alexander when we finish talking. Is there anything else I need to know?" Tanaga's voice was now calmer after ranting Tiny's ear off.

"No, sir! If anything else comes up, I will surely contact you first before anything else happens." He then waited for Tanaga to end the call.

"Good! I'll talk to you later then." Tanaga then hung up the call and proceeded to call King Alexander, who was currently having an excellent breakfast with his beautiful wife, Queen Alexa.

===

King Alexander was furious once he learned that Prince Edward left the country without enough protection with him while drunk in the middle of the night. What would happen if something tragic happened to him? For sure, he would never hear the end of it from their mother. 

He banged the table as he stood up, "Impertinent! Rascal! He will be the death of me!" He was shouting to no one in particular. 

Alexa, who was seated at the end of the long dining table, looked up to see what happened. Seeing her husband was furious, she knew right away that Prince Edward might have done something. Speaking of who, she had not seen him since the day before. 

She motioned for her assistant to come closer. 

"Yes, Your  Majesty, what can I do for you?" Asked the assistant while pressing her ear closer to Alexa.

"Send someone to check on Crown Prince Edward and summon him to come and have breakfast." She whispered only for her assistant to hear. She didn't want other palace attendants to know that she was looking for the Crown Prince.

Her assistant made a slight curtsy before retreating wholly and backward, leaving the dining hall.

When Queen Alexa saw that King Alexander was about to leave, she hastened to get up and planned on following him. However, to her surprise, King Alexander instead walked towards her. His face was grim, and a frown was plastered on his handsome face.

"We need to prepare to leave; my idiot brother took off to America without asking for permission to accompany James. I have just spoken to Tanaga, and he will be flying now as we speak to head over here too. We need to find out what those two idiots were planning to do." King Alexander was fuming as he told her his plan.